Motoring with
multiple sclerosis
2014
Motoring with
multiple sclerosis
Contents
Choosing a car
Details of features that
may help you and ways of
adapting a car
ricability
R
Driving with MS
Choosing a car
Plan of action
Products and techniques
Finance
Further information
Choosing a car
3
4
5
6
9
10
This Rica booklet outlines some of the
key things to think about when choosing
or adapting a vehicle for someone who
has multiple sclerosis (MS).
This information comes from
consultation with people with multiple
sclerosis and other experts. Product and
price information comes from Rica’s
market research – use it as a guide only
and shop around for the best price.
More detailed guidance on choosing
and using a car can be found in the Rica
guides shown here. Call us to request
free copies or read them on our website:
020 7427 2460
www.rica.org.uk
The website also has the Car search
page that lets you search for cars by their
measurements and will help you find a
car to suit you.
2011
A guide for older and disabled people
Car controls
Information on adapted
controls for driving, the
different types and
how to get them
R
A guide for older and disabled people
Getting awheelchair into acar
A guide for older and disabled people
Getting in
and out of a car
Techniques that may help
and details of equipment
that is available
ricability
Wheelchair
accessible vehicles
A guide for older and disabled people
Mobility
address list
2013
2
2011
Getting a
wheelchair into a car
Information on equipment
to help you stow or carry a
wheelchair
2013
I
Mobility address list
Addresses of all adaptation
suppliers and car converters
in the UK and details of the
services they offer
ricability
Car controls
Wheelchair
accessible vehicles
Information on converted
vehicles to carry you in
your wheelchair
2011
Family cars
Issues affecting families of
disabled children and
information about cars and
standard and specialist
equipment
MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Driving with MS
Multiple sclerosis is unpredictable and
can affect people in many ways. Some
symptoms are common but people will
experience different symptoms. In
addition, MS symptoms themselves can
vary from being mild to severe, and they
may be temporary or permanent.
Some common MS symptoms that
may affect driving include the following:
l sensory (touch) problems such as
numbness or tingling hands and feet
l visual problems such as blurred or
double vision, or a temporary loss of
sight caused by optic neuritis
(inflammation of the optic nerve)
l fatigue – an overwhelming sense of
tiredness making physical or mental
activity difficult
l loss of muscle strength and dexterity
l problems with walking, balance and
co-ordination
l muscle stiffness and spasms –
tightening or rigidity in particular
muscle groups (known as spasticity)
l difficulty with memory and thinking.
You have to tell the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) that you have
been diagnosed with MS. They will
assess your fitness to drive using the
information you provide and may ask
you to have a medical examination or a
driving assessment.
You may be:
l allowed to keep your licence
l given a temporary licence, valid for
one, two or three years
l given a licence that specifies which
adaptations you need to use, or
l in extreme cases told to stop driving.
A small loss of muscle control will not
necessarily affect your ability to drive a
car but people are required to show
sufficient dexterity to operate the car
controls safely. See page 6 for the wide
range of adaptations available that can
help with some of these. If you need
adaptations to drive, then these will be
specified on your licence. You are not
allowed to drive a car without them.
Memory and concentration, spatial
awareness of the position of things and
clear mental processing of information
are also important to drivers. An
assessment at a Mobility Centre (see
Forum of Mobility Centres page 10) can
help identify and address any problems.
You also need to tell your insurance
company about your condition and
about any adaptations you have.
For further information, go to
www.gov.uk/browse/driving or get the
leaflet What you need to know about
driving licences (D100) from a post
office. For more information on MS,
contact the MS Society (see page 11).
Remember that many people with MS
carry on driving confidently and safely
for many years.
Advice from drivers with MS
n Try out a car and any
adaptations on one of your
worst days, not when you’re
feeling well.
n Be prepared to compromise
but don’t omit your ‘must
have’ features.
n Get advice from an
independent Mobility Centre.
3
Choosing a car
You may well be able to continue driving
an unadapted car for some time,
particularly if it has automatic
transmission and power steering. If your
condition is progressive, think ahead to
what you may need in the future.
Other helpful features such as heightadjustable seats and steering are found on
a wide range of cars too.The less a car
has to be modified, the higher its
resale value.
If you are going to get a standard car,
use the list below to tick the features you
might find useful.
GETTING IN AND OUT
If your legs are weak or painful, you may
need a large door opening so you can get
in and out without having to bend them
too much.
If you have weakness in your arms and
find reaching difficult, smaller doors are
easier. Two and three door cars generally
have wider doorways than four and five
door ones.
Also look for:
l no sills or low, narrow sills
l conveniently placed handholds
l seat height that best suits you
l seats which go up and down,
forwards and back – useful if you
need space to get your legs in but
sit closer to the wheel for driving.
PRIMARY CONTROLS
For steering, braking and accelerating.
Look for:
l automatic transmission – this can
make driving less stressful and make
the controls easier to adapt
l power assisted steering – on some
cars the effort needed can be
lightened by the dealership or by
specialist converters
l cruise control to maintain a
constant speed
l handbrakes can be stiff if you have a
weak hand and wrist – check that
you can put it on and off
l some cars have electronic, push
button handbrakes and you can
have one fitted to many others.
SECONDARY CONTROLS
For things like the horn, lights and
indicators. Try to find a model where
these are in the best position for you.
Also look for:
l electric windows
l electric and heated door mirrors
l heated windscreen
l automatic wipers and lights
l easy controls for audio equipment,
air conditioning etc – some cars
have voice activated controls
l parking sensor – sounds if you are
near an obstacle
l reversing camera.
BOOT
LOCKING AND IGNITION
l
l
l
l
4
remote and central locking
keyless entry system
push button start
windows that close automatically
when the car is locked.
Look for:
l no sill or low sill
l powered boot opening/closing
l internal boot release
l space for your wheelchair if you
have one.
MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Plan of action
1 Ask some basic questions
Think about what you may need in future
as well as about what suits you now.
Prepare to compromise as you may not
find everything in one car.
How will you get in and out? Do you
need wide or high doors, or specialist
equipment to help? See Products and
techniques (page 6).
Will you be comfortable in the seat?
And will you be able to reach the
controls?
Will you need specialist controls?There
is a big range – from simple gadgets to
more complex controls (see pages 6-8).
What equipment will you carry? Think
about everyday and occasional use.
Do you use a wheelchair? Will you load
it into the boot or travel sitting in it?
Will you need extra space for
specialist equipment?
Find a car
n use Rica’s online database of
car measurements at
www.rica.org.uk/car-search
n search for cars with eg wide
doors, low sills or lots of
headroom or look for a boot
to fit your wheelchair
2 Collect information
Start with motoring magazines, the
internet and manufacturers’ brochures.
You can also try the following:
Disability Now
(www.disabilitynow.org.uk) has reviews
and articles by disabled drivers.
Disabled Motoring UK (see page 10)
publishes a monthly magazine with
reviews and articles.
3 Try out before buying
Try any car you are considering. Dealers
may bring one to your house and can get
an automatic version. Try getting in and
out several times. If you use a wheelchair,
check that it fits.
If you need specialist adaptations, a
visit to a Mobility Centre (see page 10)
is a good place to start. They will assess
your driving and give you advice tailored
to your needs. You will also be able to try
out adapted controls.
Adaptation companies can advise you
about the adaptations they fit, and will
have demonstration vehicles for you to
try. Ask them if the adaptations can be
fitted to your chosen car.
Motability run a series of exhibitions
round the country called The Big Event
and One Big Day where you can see and
try out a wide range of standard and
specialist vehicles and equipment
(see page 11).
4 Get plenty of practice
If you are getting adapted driving
controls, it is advisable to have lessons
with a specialist instructor. This is
essential if you are getting a left foot
accelerator (see page 7).
Mobility Centres (see page 10) can
help you find an instructor locally. They
will give you lessons in their own
adapted car, or in some cases in your
own car.
Make sure that you are not driving
with adaptations for the first time when
you collect the car.
5
Products and
techniques
If you lose sensation, strength or control
in your arms or legs, consider the
adaptations available. The earlier you
convert to new controls, the more
confidently you are likely to drive. See
the following pages and our other
guides. You can also get individual advice
from a Mobility Centre (see page 10).
Gadgets
n Easyfuel holds petrol pumps
open – useful if you have weak
grip or can only use one hand
(£2.99; call 020 8302 8858 to
try before you buy).
n Handybar fits quickly into the
door catch to give you a firm
handhold for getting in and out
(£30 from adaptation firms,
motoring suppliers and general
aids suppliers).
n Car Caddie is a strap that
attaches to the top of the door
to give you a firm handle as you
stand up or sit down (around
£20 from motoring suppliers
and general aids suppliers).
6
specialist replacement seat fitted. Costs
start at about £1,250 from adaptation
firms. See our guide Getting in and out of
a car for more information.
Wheelchair users
If you have a manual wheelchair, you
may be able to lift it into the back of the
car and walk the few steps to the seat.
However, if you can’t, there is a range of
devices and techniques for getting you
and the wheelchair into your car. See our
guides Getting in and out of a car and
Getting a wheelchair into a car for more
information.
PRIMARY CONTROLS
Steering
If you steer one handed, you will need a
grip fitted to the steering wheel – a
steering ball or spinner – and power
assisted steering.
Spinners come in several shapes to
suit different types of grip and most cost
between £10 and £110.
GETTING IN AND OUT
Steering wheel grips from Alfred Bekker
The best way to get in is to sit first then
turn and bring your legs in, doing the
reverse to get out.
You can have the door hinges
modified or the seat runners extended to
give you more space to get in and out.
You can convert your existing seat –
make it higher or height adjustable, or
add a swivelling mechanism – or have a
Changing gears
Automatic transmission means fewer
gear changes and also helps with pulling
away, if you have hill start assist.
Usually automatics have a
mechanical gear selector, which you
operate with your left hand. If you
cannot do this, you can have an
MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
electronic system fitted, but these are
expensive and may not be appropriate.
Take advice from a Mobility Centre
before investing in these systems.
Electronic gear selector, from Adaptacar
Some manual cars have automated
gear systems which work without using a
clutch pedal. You move a lever or use
push buttons or paddles on the steering
wheel to select a gear.
If you drive an adapted manual car but
your driving licence is for automatic
vehicles only, you must make sure the
clutch pedal is removed.
Accelerating and braking
If the strength or control of your legs is
poor, you can have more brake
assistance added to reduce the effort
required.
If one of your legs is affected, you may
be able to drive an unmodified
automatic car. If it is your right leg, one
option is to have a flip up left foot
accelerator fitted on the left side of the
brake pedal, for around £300-500.
Warning
n Left foot accelerators take a
Controls on steering wheel
If you can operate the gear stick, but
not the clutch pedal, you can get an
adapted clutch that you operate with the
same hand you use to change gear (from
£1,975). See our Car controls guide.
Gear stick mounted Duck clutch, from ELAP
lot of getting used to,
especially if you are used to
driving an unadapted manual
car. There have been a number
of accidents involving drivers
who aren’t used to them.
n You must have a professional
driving assessment before
ordering a left foot accelerator
and lessons with a qualified
instructor before you start to
use one on the road.
Hand controls
If you cannot use foot pedals at all or
don’t want to get a left foot accelerator,
different types of hand control system
can be fitted on an automatic car. These
are descibed on the following pages.
The pedals cannot be removed but
you can fit a guard to stop your feet from
getting caught in them (from £100).
7
Single lever accelerator and brake – here fitted
with optional indicator switch – Jeff Gosling
Combined controls
l steering column mounted – push the
lever to brake and pull it towards you
to accelerate (from £400)
l a radial lever that you use clockwise
to accelerate and push away to brake
(from £700)
l floor mounted push-pull levers –
position and strength needed can be
adjusted to suit you (from £800)
K5 under ring – Autoadapt
Parking brake
Mechanical attachments are simple to fit
and can make it easier to use the
handbrake (from £70). Electronic parking
brakes cost from around £700.
SECONDARY CONTROLS
If you have difficulty using controls for
the lights and indicators, there are
simple and complex solutions.
If you need to work the indicator with
your right hand, you can have an
extension fitted to the indicator stalk
that takes it over the steering column.
Floor-mounted Menox Carospeed – Autoadapt
l clamp-on controls simply bolt on to
the pedals (£350) – best as a short
term option.
Separate accelerators and brakes
l there is a wide range of separate hand
controls for accelerating; use with floor
mounted brakes (from £550)
l accelerator rings (from £1,800) need
less effort and let you steer with both
hands on the wheel; they
don’t interfere with the steering
wheel adjustment.
8
Indicators extension – Alfred Bekker
If you have more complex needs,
electronic systems can be fitted that
bring all the secondary controls together
in one unit.They are operated by hand or
by nudging with your head, arm or leg.
Some work with just one button.
MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Steering knob combined with wireless
secondary controls – Lodgesons
Prices vary widely depending on how
complex the controls are and on the
wiring system of the car (from £700).
Check the cost of any adaptation
before ordering it. Also check that
it is compatible with your car. Your
adaptation company will advise on this.
OTHER WAYS OF DRIVING
Nearly all controls can be altered or
adapted to suit you and complete
systems built around you if necessary.
You will need a thorough assessment at
a Mobility Centre and specialist
instruction for systems that involve
driving in a very different way.
Finance
Motability – Scheme for people
receiving the Higher/Enhanced Rate
Mobility Component of DLA, PIP or
Armed Forces Independence Payment
(AFIP) or the War Pensioner’s Mobility
Supplement (see page 11 for more
information).
Access to Work – May help if you are
working or about to start work. Go to
www.gov.uk/access-to-work or ask at
your Jobcentre.
Grants – Contact the MS Society Grants
Team (see page 11) for information about
grants for vehicle adaptations.
Alternatively, try:
l your library for local charities such
as the Round Table or Lions Clubs
l Charity Search – helps people over
50 find a grant-giving charity:
0117 982 4060 (9.30am-2.30pm)
www.charitysearch.org.uk
l Turn2Us – a website for people in
financial need:
0808 802 2000 (8am-8pm)
www.turn2us.org.uk
VAT exemption – You do not have to pay
VAT on adaptations or their installation,
repairs or maintenance. You may not
have to pay VAT on the purchase and
maintenance of an adapted car. Talk to
your supplier or see information available
from HMRC (see page 11).
Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) – You
don’t have to pay this if you get the
Higher/Enhanced Rate Mobility
Component of DLA, PIP or AFIP. You
claim the exemption when you apply for
your tax disc. You will have to show
evidence of your entitlement to the
relevant benefit. See
www.gov.uk/driving-medicalconditions/tax-disc-exemptions.
Car insurance – Under the Equality Act
2010, insurance companies are not
allowed to refuse disabled drivers
insurance or charge extra without
justifying evidence. Shop around for the
best deal. If you have a heavily adapted
car, Mobility Centres and DMUK (see
page 10) have lists of companies that
specialise in insuring disabled drivers.
9
Further
information
Blue Badge parking scheme
Allows disabled people to park in
restricted areas, but do read and
follow the conditions of use
carefully. The scheme is
administered by local authorities
who deal with applications and
issue badges.
For questions about the Blue
Badge scheme contact your
local council or the Initial
Enquiry Support Service.
Tel (England) 0844 463 0213
Tel (Scotland) 0844 463 0214
Tel (Wales) 0844 463 0215
Email
[email protected]
www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge
Brain and Spine Foundation
l research, education and information
l help and advice to people affected by
brain and spine disorders.
Freephone 0808 808 1000
Email [email protected]
www.brainandspine.org.uk
Disability Benefits Helplines
For information and advice about an
existing claim.
l Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Tel 08457 123456
l Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Tel 0845 850 3322
www.gov.uk/browse/benefits
10
Disabled Living Foundation (DLF)
l advice and information on disability
equipment.
Tel 0845 130 9177 (10am-4pm)
www.dlf.org.uk
www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk
Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK)
l the campaigning charity for disabled
motorists. They run the Baywatch
campaign against parking abuse and
represent disabled people’s needs at a
national level. Membership £24 per
year – includes monthly magazine.
Tel 01508 489449
Fax 01508 488173
Email [email protected]
www.disabledmotoring.org
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
(DVLA) Drivers medical enquiries
Tel 0300 790 6806
Fax 0845 850 0095
www.gov.uk/dvla
Driver & Vehicle Agency
(Northern Ireland)
Driver Licensing Medical Section
Tel 0845 402 4000
www.dvani.gov.uk
Forum of Mobility Centres
l network of independent, accredited
Mobility Centres which will carry out
driving assessments, advise drivers,
passengers and carers and in some
cases help you find a specialist
driving instructor
l national information service on
driving, equipment and adaptations.
Freephone 0800 559 3636
Email [email protected]
www.mobility-centres.org.uk
MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
HM Revenue and Customs
l VAT relief on adaptations (VAT Notice
701/7) and motor vehicles (VAT
Notice 701/59) for disabled people.
Tel 0300 123 1073
www.hmrc.gov.uk
www.gov.uk/financial-helpdisabled/vat-relief
Motability
l use your Higher/Enhanced Rate
Mobility Component of DLA, PIP or
AFIP, or your War Pensioner’s Mobility
Supplement to lease a car.
Maintenance and servicing, insurance
and breakdown assistance are
included. Motability contribute
towards the cost of adaptations
l you may have to make an advance
payment to cover the cost of the car.
Tel 0300 456 4566
Textphone 0845 675 0009
www.motability.co.uk
The Big Event and One Big Day
l Motability run these regional events
for customers and people interested
in the scheme – you can see and
test-drive cars and adaptations.
l The Big Event takes place in Belfast
and Manchester in 2014.
l One Big Days will be held in Dartford,
Donington Park, Exeter and Harrogate
in 2014.
www.motability.co.uk/whats-on-andget-involved/one-big-day
Multiple Sclerosis Trust
l UK charity providing information for
anyone affected by multiple sclerosis.
Tel 0800 032 3839
Email [email protected]
www.mstrust.org.uk
Positive about MS
l website dedicated to give information
and support to people who have
Multiple Sclerosis, or who are affected
by the condition.
Email [email protected]
www.positiveaboutms.com
Remap
l voluntary group of engineers who
design and manufacture devices when
there is nothing else on the market.
Remap England, Wales and NI
Tel 0845 130 0456
Email [email protected]
www.remap.org.uk
Remap Scotland
Tel 01466 730736
Email [email protected]
www.remap-scotland.org
Multiple Sclerosis Society
n UK’s largest charity dedicated to
supporting everyone whose life
is touched by MS.
n Funds research into MS and
campaigns to improve
treatment and care.
n Provides emotional, practical
and financial support to
people with MS and their
carers and families.
Tel 0808 800 8000
Email
[email protected]
www.mssociety.org.uk
Grants
Tel 020 8438 0700
(ask for grants team)
Email [email protected]
11
Consumer research for older
and disabled people.
Rica is an independent research
charity that publishes practical
consumer information.
Tel 020 7427 2460
Textphone 020 7427 2469
Email [email protected]
www.rica.org.uk
@RicaUK
facebook.com/RicaUK
The information in this guide
is correct at the time of going
to print (June 2014).
It is reviewed every two years.
See our website for any
changes since printing.
ISBN: 978-1-907408-24-3
© Rica 2014
In partnership with:
forum of mobility centres
NMS03/0614